World · North America · 4 hrs ago
Virginia Hicks to honour military families as Canada’s Silver Cross Mother
Virginia Hicks was chosen as Canada’s Silver Cross Mother and will represent grieving military families on Remembrance Day.
Her daughter, Private Mariebeth Short, died at age 22 during a training exercise at CFB Petawawa in 2002.
Short was serving as a sapper in the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment, and her mother returns each year to the site of the accident with red roses.
Hicks is a retired sergeant and a veteran herself, so she knows the risks military families face.
Four soldiers recently died in a training-exercise fire at CFB Wainwright, and dozens were critically injured.
The fire makes Hicks’s Remembrance Day tribute especially timely for families mourning loved ones lost in military service.
She will lay a wreath at Ottawa’s National War Memorial on Remembrance Day and pause to remember her daughter and other military families.
Virginia Hicks has been chosen as Canada’s Silver Cross Mother for this year.
On Remembrance Day, the retired sergeant will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
Her daughter, Private Mariebeth Short, died in a training exercise at CFB Petawawa in 2002.
Hicks returns each Sept. 23 to place red roses by a maple tree at the site where her daughter died.
She says she will think of her daughter and of military families grieving sons and daughters.
- Who
- Virginia Hicks, a veteran and retired sergeant, is this year’s Silver Cross Mother.
- What
- She will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on Remembrance Day to honour military families.
- When
- On Remembrance Day; the year is 2026. Her daughter died in 2002.
- Where
- The wreath-laying will take place at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Her daughter died at CFB Petawawa in Ontario.
- Why
- The Royal Canadian Legion chose Hicks for the role. She will remember her daughter and military families who are grieving.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Private Mariebeth Short died during a training exercise at CFB Petawawa.
Hicks returns to the site where her daughter died and places red roses by a maple tree.
The Royal Canadian Legion chose Hicks as Canada’s Silver Cross Mother.
Hicks will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
- Silver Cross Mother
- Virginia Hicks
- Daughter
- Private Mariebeth Short
- Age at death
- 22
- Year of death
- 2002
- Place of death
- CFB Petawawa, Ontario
- Remembrance Day ceremony
- National War Memorial, Ottawa
3 sources
What people are saying
I’m very, very proud to be Canadian,
You realize this is a very big piece of equipment,
Yes, yes, Warrant, I’ll be careful,